This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described herein, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
An unmanned vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones are aircraft or vehicles that fly or travel without human operators being present in the aircraft. UAVs may be controlled from a remote location from a remote controller. At this remote location, a human operator or a program executed by a computer generates commands for the UAV. UAVs may also be controlled using a program running on a computer or other controller on the UAV.
The use of UAVs to conduct surveillance or fly other payload missions in remote and/or hostile environments or under dangerous conditions has significant benefits. The most obviously of these benefits is the avoidance of human exposure to these environments. Other benefits derive from the ability to equip a UAV with data collection instruments and sensors that provide the capability to collect a large quantity of data over a large data collection area or physically dangerous data without human intervention.
Further, there are certain situations that call for critical devices and/or deliveries to be transported to a scene of the situation where there is a need of aid. In such situations, there is typically an urgency regarding the transportation of the devices and/or deliveries. Such devices and/or deliveries may be located on an unmanned vehicle.
However, few solutions exists for a simple, efficient, and automated system that includes a UAV (or any unmanned vehicle) to be deployed quickly and be loaded with payload to be carried for either an emergency situation, surveillance, or delivery of certain objects or cargo.
Hence, what is needed a UAV and base station method, system, and apparatus that allows for a UAV to be efficiently loaded with payload, objects, or cargo to be delivered to a site location either for emergency situations, surveillance, or payload delivery.